MR/MU FAQ
Updated: 04/04/2002
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What are MRs and MUs?
Maintenance Releases (MRs) are scheduled updates to the major releases. They used to be called QMRs and were released on a quarterly schedule. As of April, 2001, MRs are now released on an approximate 120 day schedule. The Maintenance Updates (MUs)— which we used to call QMUs—are for the urgent, critical customer problems that are discovered between regularly scheduled releases. We do MUs only on an as-needed basis. So, for example, we might release an MU to fix an security or interoperability issue. An MU is, therefore, a small release, with only a few, or perhaps just one fix.
Since I will have to wait longer for a fix in a Maintenance Release (MR), will there be more Maintenance Updates (MUs)?
We will continue to produce Maintenance Updates for critical bugs that may impact a large segment of the customer base or regressions that are identified in the Maintenance Releases. Maintenance Updates are not on a schedule but are developed on a as-needed basis.
Will there be more features in Maintenance Releases (MRs)?
Our policy on features in Maintenance Releases remains unchanged. All features are carefully evaluated to minimize impact to core Notes/Domino code. Lotus also targets to reduce the number of features that are inserted into Maintenance Releases as the maintenance codestream progresses.
Will there be more fixes in the Maintenance Releases since the development cycle is longer now?
No. The additional time will be used primarily for increased testing of the Maintenance Release. This is intended to increase the product quality of the Maintenance Releases.
Is there a change to the way the bugs are identified for inclusion in the Maintenance Releases?
No. The Maintenance Release Triage process by which we identify the bugs to be fixed remains unchanged. For more information on how this works please see How a Bug Becomes a Fix.
What kind of support is provided for MRs and MUs?
If you have successfully downloaded the kits and are having problems installing or running the software, you will need to contact Lotus customer support, since the Incremental Installer is covered under existing Notes Support contracts. The only exception is for problems you may encounter accessing the Web, for which you should contact your Internet service provider.
How do I know when a release is a MU, versus a MR?
It's very easy—an MR is represented by a number and an MU has an additional letter. So, for example, the first MU for R5.0.6 was R5.0.6a. These releases of Domino and Notes supersede the previous MR. They contain all of the fixes in the previous release, plus the additional fixes for the bugs being addressed in the MU.
How are the MR schedules determined?
Approximately every 120 days, we release a MR for Domino and Notes. We normally only have two MRs in development at a time. There is typically a two to three-week, or three to four-week difference due to the resource constraints of the release team.
Why should I use the Incremental Installer?
If you are keeping your Notes/Domino installations up-to-date, the Incremental Installers allow you to quickly upgrade to the latest version of Notes/Domino, as soon as it's available. If you need to upgrade from an older version of Notes/Domino to the latest release, then the most efficient upgrade path is to download full kits from the Passport Advantage site, or order a CD.
How long will each new Incremental Installer be available?
The four most recent Incremental Installers for each MR platform and codestream are available from the download site. This means that each time a new Incremental Installer comes out in a codestream, the oldest Incremental Installer is removed from the list and is no longer available from the download page. When Notes/Domino 6 ships, we will maintain the four most recent Incremental Installers for the 6 codestream as well as the four most recent Incremental Installers for the 5.0.x codestream. Remember that you can upgrade from an older version by downloading full kits from the Passport Advantage site or by ordering a CD.
Can I run the Incremental Installer if there are Notes addins or APIs installed on my computer?
Yes, you can use the Incremental Installer to upgrade your version of Domino or Notes, even when you're running Notes addins or APIs.
Should I back up any files before running the Incremental Installer?
Yes, if you have modified any of the templates in your Notes folder, you should make backup copies before running the Incremental Installer because the existing ones may be replaced. As an added precaution, you should also backup other important files and databases, such as your NOTES.INI, DESKTOP5.DSK, NAMES.NSF, and user ID files.
Can you uninstall after running the Incremental Installer?
The Incremental Installer supports uninstalls for the Windows and OS/2 platforms. To downgrade to a previous release of Notes or Domino on these platforms, you must rerun the Incremental Installer and follow the onscreen instructions. (Note: Your templates are not downgraded.)
Uninstalls are not supported on the Macintosh and UNIX platforms. If you want to downgrade to a previous release of Notes or Domino on these platforms, you must reinstall the full software from CD-ROM. Therefore, before running an Incremental Installer version on these platforms, you should make sure that you also have the CD-ROM available. If the Incremental Installer is interrupted before it completes an upgrade, you can then do a clean install from the CD-ROM.
How do I know what's included in an MR or MU, and whether I should download it?
In the Fix List Database, we post a Fix List that you can examine before you download the release. Lotus generally recommends that you apply each MR or MU since they contain bug fixes that will significantly enhance the stability and reliability of your Notes and Domino environment. However, we also encourage you to review the Fix List Database to avoid a potential impact on a customized environment.
What are the system requirements for running the Incremental Installer?
The system requirements for running the Incremental Installer are:
- You must not have changed, added, or deleted any .DLL or .EXE files (or any shared libraries or executables on UNIX). If you have made such changes, you will need to obtain a CD-ROM of the release you want and install from it.
- You must have the minimum amount of available disk space specified in the Incremental Installer instructions.
- You must shut down Notes before running the Incremental Installer.
Can you download the Incremental Installer to a Network file server and make it available on a LAN for users who do not have access to the Web?
Yes, you can download all available Incremental Installer executables to a Network file server and instruct users how to access and run the appropriate Incremental Installer executable for their platform. On UNIX, the Incremental Installer supports multiple push installs and upgrading a "distribution" from which multiple push installs can also be performed.
Can I upgrade from any release of Domino or Notes to any other release using the Incremental Installer?
Not necessarily. You must first get your installed environment up to the release for which the Incremental installer kit was created. For example, if you want to upgrade to R5.0.10 and you're currently running R5.0.7, you must first run the Incremental installer to upgrade your environment from R5.0.7 to R5.0.8 and then run the next Incremental Installer to get you from R5.0.8 to R5.0.9, and so on. It is important to note that you must have initially purchased a Notes/Domino license in order to upgrade using the Incremental Installers. Also, if you are planning a long upgrade path, for example, from 5.0.1 to 5.0.7, we do not recommend using all the Incremental Installers. Instead, you can download full kits from the Passport Advantage site.
Why aren't the Incremental Installers prior to MR 5.0.7 available?
As part of the Lotus Software download consolidation in April 2002, only Notes/Domino Incremental Installers for 5.0.6a to 5.0.7, and later, are available. If you have a version of Notes or Domino earlier than 5.0.6a, you can download software from the Passport Advantage site. Business Partners can also download software from the PartnerWorld site.
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